Kitchen Garden December 2017

TOOLS, SEEDS & SUNDRIES WORTH OVER £1947

WWW.KITCHENGARDEN.CO.UK | DECEMBER 2017

DOWN-TO-EARTH ADVICE FOR GROWING FRUIT & VEG

FREE CHERRY TOMATOES + 10 PACKETS OF SEEDS

SEASON'S EATINGS

Fruit trees for small spaces

RESULTS FROM OUR MASSIVE MARROW & PASSIONATE PLOTTER COMPETITIONS

EDITOR’S LETTER

WELCOME It’s hard to believe that we are about to say goodbye to another gardening season. I hope yours has been as trouble free, enjoyable and productive as ours on the KG plot. But while it is sad to see the garden preparing for its winter hibernation, the prospect of a new gardening year ahead is so exciting.

With this in mind we have some great features in this issue for you, including one for those of you thinking about giving over some space to a brand new vegetable garden.

We can also announce the results of our two big competitions for 2017, the Passionate Plotter and Massive Marrow competitions.

Both received a great response from you this year and I hope you enjoy reading about our prize-winning plots and seeing the skill of fellow readers who did battle with their superb squashes! We hope you will be inspired to enter our competitions next year, details of which will be announced early in 2018.

E

O ON DE O VI

CHANNEL

SEE THE

YOUTU B UR

KitchenGardenMag

KitchenGardenUK

Steve Ott, editor Contact me at: sott@mortons.co.uk | 01507 529396 Find us at www.kitchengarden.co.uk Contact subscriptions: 01507 529529

@GrowWithKG

/kitchengardenmagazine

MEET THE DECEMBER KG TEAM

WENDY PILLAR

JOYCE RUSSELL

DAVID PATCH

JULIE MOORE

SUE STICKLAND

TONY FLANAGAN

Wendy always dreamed of owning a large plot.

When this finally became possible she had some difficult decisions to make as to how to use the land. Read about her experiences starting on page 72.

Practical gardener Joyce brings us a great little project this month which uses largely recycled materials. Her little herb garden would be great on the windowsill this winter or would make a nice gift for a gardening friend.

It is time to order and plant fruit trees and our resident fruit expert David turns his attention to space-saving fruit varieties. Starting on page 60 he explains how to care for cordon and espalier apples and pears.

This month biodynamic gardener Julie explains how to get the most out of that valuable source of free organic materials, fallen leaves. There is none better as a soil conditioner and mulch all round the garden.

Sue travels to Devon this month to meet a gardening expert who is just mad about nuts.

Turn to page 44 to discover the best nut trees for your garden in terms of productivity and beauty.

Staff writer Tony travelled to Birmingham recently to attend one of the biggest UK gardening trade shows. He reveals some of the exciting new products you can expect to see in the garden centres in 2018.

START SAVING CASH NOW: VISIT WWW.KITCHENGARDEN.CO.UK www.kitchengarden.co.uk

DECEMBER 2017 | 3

CONTENTS

EXPERT ADVICE TO HELP YOU GROW GREAT FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

6

32

✪ ON THE COVER

YOU

@GrowWithKG KitchenGardenUK

YOUR PLOT

6 ON THE VEG PATCH

KitchenGardenMag @GrowWithKG /kitchengardenmagazine FOR OUR CONTACT DETAILS TURN TO PAGE 15

Start winter digging, install water butts, harvest chard and sprouts, prune vines, fruit trees and bushes, start a bean trench, check stored potatoes

10 IN THE GREENHOUSE Plant a cherry, tend to winter greens, harvest the last of peppers, clean fallen leaves from vines, watch out for rodents, repair raised beds

12 WHAT’S NEW? The latest news, comment and advice from the world of kitchen gardening

14 YOUR LETTERS AND TIPS Learn what other KG readers have been up to and pick up some great first-hand advice

20 QUESTION TIME

NEVER MISS AN ISSUE...

£20

ON PAGE 24 HAVING TROUBLE FINDING A COPY OF THIS MAGAZINE? Just Ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month

4 | DECEMBER 2017

Our panel of leading experts from the gardening industry answer your gardening queries

66 79 NEXT MONTH Some of the highlights to be found in your January issue plus news of great free gifts

98 LAST WORD A massive marrow competition is simple enough, right? Well as deputy editor Emma Rawlings explains, nothing is as easy as it first seems!

44

32 PASSIONATE PLOTTER 2017 ✪ We reveal the winners in our competition to find the cream of the crop among our readers

66 OH WHAT A BEAUTY! ✪ They have been measured, weighed and photographed. Now you can see them for yourselves – the winners of our giant marrow competition www.kitchengarden.co.uk

DECEMBER 2017

92 Scan this, and we’ll tell you!

RECIPES

40

Anna Pettigrew has some inspiring ideas for accompaniments to the festive feast using your home-grown ingredients

GET GROWING

Pg 92

16 ON THE PLOT WITH THE THREE MUDKETEERS This month the muddies are juicing apples, harvesting ‘Uchiki Kuri’ squash and covering the soil for winter

22 NEW VARIETY ON TRIAL

54 LAGOM – THE SWEDISH ART OF EATING HARMONIOUSLY Food author Steffi Knowles-Dellner brings us some delicious recipes from her native home of Sweden

KG editor Steve Ott gives juicing carrot ‘Cidera’ a try

58 EXOTIC MARVELS: MASHUA & MACA

26 AN IRISH GEM

Sally Cunningham explains how to grow these tasty South American tubers

Joyce and Ben Russell travel to Glebe Gardens in Baltimore, south-west Ireland

36 MONEY GROWS ON TREES Julie Moore explains how to make best use of the annual windfall of autumn leaves

40 SPROUTS: NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS ✪ Heritage veg enthusiast Rob Smith reveals his favourite varieties and encourages sprouthaters to give them a try

44 MAKING A CASE FOR NUTS ✪

60 SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMED ✪

80 TRIED AND TESTED – GIFTS FOR GARDENERS ✪

63 MAKE A KITCHEN HERB GARDEN

The KG team try out some products that may give you some inspiration for the festive season ahead

Joyce Russell brings us a great little project that will provide you with fresh herbs all winter long

69 A TIME FOR GLEE

48 LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

72 BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!

Gardening expert Ben Vanheems has all the advice you need if you intend to make a new veg plot in your garden

When organic gardener Wendy Pillar took on a one-acre garden, she discovered that there was much to learn before achieving her dream

In the first of our new mini growing guides we take a look at fragrant sweet peas www.kitchengarden.co.uk

WHAT TO BUY

Would you like to grow your own apples and pears, but have very limited room? Fruit expert David Patch explains how you can grow bumper crops in the smallest of spaces

Nut trees are easy to grow, productive and beautiful, but which is best for your garden?

Gardening writer Sue Stickland visits a Devon-based nut tree plantation to find out

53 CUT FLOWERS FROM YOUR PATCH NEW SERIES

76

KG staff writer Tony Flanagan travels to one of the biggest gardening trade shows in the UK to seek out the latest products for 2018

76 FEED THE BIRDS ✪ Expert advice from the RSPB to help your feathered friends thrive this winter

84 GREAT READER OFFERS ✪ Claim your free* sow now seed collection worth £18.60 (*just pay p&p), plus even more savings on a great range of seeds for the 2018 season

86 GREAT GIVEAWAYS WORTH OVER £1947 ✪ This month you could win power tools, pots and planters, storage solutions, artworks and seed collections

88 INSTANT SAVERS This month save up to 34% on great gardening brands with our exclusive offers

90 GARDEN STORE ✪ Great Christmas gift ideas for gardeners DECEMBER 2017 | 5

JOBS TASKS FOR YOUR VEGETABLE PATCH IN DECEMBER BY MARTIN FISH

PROTECT BROAD BEAN PLANTS Broad beans sown in October or November should be through now and making strong plants in the plot. Check the seedlings and remove any weeds from around them and if birds are a problem, cover the plants with wire netting to prevent them from being pecked at.

PREPARE SHEDS FOR WINTER Make sure that garden sheds and outbuildings are prepared for winter by checking all hinges, window catches and locks to make sure they are working properly.

A small amount of grease on hinges and a squirt of oil in a padlock makes all the difference.

WEED BETWEEN CABBAGES To keep young spring cabbage plants healthy and growing, keep them weed-free at all times. It’s also a good idea to use a hoe to draw up a little soil around the stems to prevent them from rocking around in wet, windy weather over winter.

COLLECT WINTER RAIN Take advantage of winter rains to collect as much water as possible in water butts from shed and greenhouse roofs. When the last of the leaves fall off the trees, have one last check of gutters and downpipes to make sure there are no blockages.

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JOBS FOR THE MONTH

PICK SWISS CHARD

Swiss chard, despite its slightly exotic look, is very hardy and makes a really good winter vegetable. The leaves can be eaten like spinach when young and tender, and through the winter the thick stalks can be braised, steamed and used in casseroles.

Regardless of whether you grow red, white or mixed stalks, chard makes a good alternative winter veg and the stalks will store a while in the fridge.

Although it’s not one of my favourite jobs on a cold winter’s day, gathering in garden fleece and insect mesh to wash it through is a good job to get done and ticked off your winter list.

ENJOY ROASTED PARSNIPS

Winter dinners wouldn’t be the same without roasted parsnips! We love them in our house and this root vegetable is a regular part of our diet from November through until April and, as well as roasting and mashing the roots, we also make a delicious soup from them. Being totally hardy they can remain in the soil all winter, although they can be lifted and stored in damp sand or the fridge.

HARVEST BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Another traditional winter vegetable is Brussels sprouts and they can be cooked in a variety of ways with nuts, bacon and in a creamy sauce to provide a delicious side dish. To keep the sprouts fresh it’s always best to harvest them straight from the stalk because, if picked too early, the buttons can dry out. If you do want to harvest early, cut the whole stalk and keep it in a cold shed.

onthe v vegpatch

START WINTER DIGGING I’m a great believer in digging the vegetable plot in winter to maintain good soil structure, bury annual weeds and to incorporate organic matter into the soil. I always look forward to winter digging to start preparing the plot for the new growing season.

On clay soil it’s important to start the digging as soon as possible and ideally before the ground gets too wet. This allows the clods of soil all winter to break down in the winter rains and frosts. Even on lighter soil where you want to dig in manure or compost, you can start now to allow the organic matter plenty of time to start breaking down in the soil. www.kitchengarden.co.uk

SOW NOW Broad beans, endive (winter types), large onions

PLANT NOW Soft fruit bushes, cane fruit and fruit trees.

CHICKENS ON PLOTS FOR WINTER If you keep a few hens in the garden or allotment it’s worth allowing them on to the plots for a while over winter. Not only will they help to clean up any weeds growing in the soil, they will manure the plot at the same time.

Hens will also help with pest control by scratching around in search of soil insects and grubs. I don’t give my hens a free run in the vegetable plots as they can make a great deal of mess, but if you can control them by placing a small, enclosed run on an area for a few days at a time they will do a great job.

HARVEST Winter cabbage, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, leeks, celeriac, lettuce, celery, beetroot, chicory, chard, carrots, swede, Jerusalem artichokes, spinach.

DECEMBER 2017 | 7

GET GROWING

■ Check potatoes in store to make sure the tubers are firm and sound. Any starting to soften or show signs of rot need disposing of.

The ideal conditions are in a dry, cold, dark place, but it must be frost-free.

■ Start pruning fruit bushes. On blackcurrants prune out some of the oldest wood close to soil level and with red and white currants and gooseberries, shorten new, long shoots and open up the centre of the bush.

■ Lift and heel in some leeks so that when you want a few for the kitchen you can simply pull them out of the soil.

They will stay fresh this way for a week or two.

■ Continue to plant bare root fruit trees and bushes when the soil conditions are good.

Never plant in waterlogged or frozen soil.

■ When you know where you are growing your runner beans next summer, dig out a trench at least 30-45cm (12-18in) deep and start adding green waste and shredded newspaper.

8 | DECEMBER 2017

LIFT AND DIVIDE RHUBARB

CANKER ON FRUIT TREES Apple canker can be a problem on old or young trees. It’s caused by a fungal infection that eats into the bark, causing sunken areas on large branches, but on thin branches it often completely girdles the stem, causing it to die. The fungal spores are in the air and enter the bark through a wound, or where pests such as woolly aphids have been feeding.

The disease is often worse on trees that are growing in wet, heavy soil or where they are struggling to establish, so improving drainage and keeping trees fed and mulched will help them to make healthy growth.

Check trees at this time of the year and prune branches with canker back into healthy wood or on thick branches use a sharp p knife and cut awayy damaged tissue.

Wounds and cuts can then be treated with a wound paint such as Medo orr Arbrex.

VINE PRUNING Vines have been grown in Britain since the Romans introduced them a couple of thousand years ago and they grew them all over the country.

More recently, vine growing has tended to be mainly to the south of England, but there are now several small commercial vineyards further north that produce good crops and wine. This is partly due to new varieties of grapes that grow in a cooler climate and the change in weather p patterns.

Rhubarb growing in the garden has now died down and is dormant. If you want to divide an old established clump, it can be done now. Carefully lift the clump and use a spade to slice through the tough root to divide it.

Discard the old woody centre and save the outer part with fat growth buds on it. Replant the sections in well-prepared soil to the same depth.

WEEDS IN POTS OF FRUIT Many fruit bushes are ideal for growing in large pots and at this time of the year it’s a good idea to weed through the pots and carefully disturb the surface of tthe compost. Many garden weeds act as a winter host to fungal w diseases and insects, so as well as making tthe plants look better,, removing the weeds also helps the fight against pests and diseases.

In a garden situation or allotment it’s possible to grow a good crop of outdoor grapes, especially if you choose varieties such as ‘Phoenix’ (a white grape) or ‘Regent’ (a black grape) that have been bred to grow outdoors in our climate.

When growing vines it is important to choose a sheltered site, ideally south facing so that in late summer the grapes will ripen. Good drainage is also important, so avoid wet, sticky clay.

Vines are a long-term crop so when planting, p g ggood soil

preparation is essential to get the plants established and growing – and you need to plan how you are going to train them.

Rod and spur pruning is perhaps the simplest method of growing a vine and is how most indoor vines are grown but it can also be used outside. Permanent horizontal branches are trained on strong wires known as rods. Side shoots grow from the rods and it is this growth that produces fruits. Each winter all the one-year-old growth is pruned back to the main rod to form a spur.

The Guyot system is what most vineyards use and each year the fruiting wood is replaced with new growth. Short branches are trained from the main trunk on a low horizontal wire and the upright growth made from it bears the fruit.

At the end of the season all the growth is cut back and new, replacement horizontal branches are bent down and tied in for the following season.

Whichever system you use, the main winter pruning needs to be done when the vines are totally dormant in December and January to avoid the cuts bleeding sap. www.kitchengarden.co.uk

■ Plant out peas, beans and lettuce that are still in pots, but wait until soil temperature is above 5C/41F. Cover small plants with a layer of horticultural fleece, or similar, for extra protection in a cold month.

■ You can sow lettuce in a propagator at 10C/50F, or on a cool window ledge in the house, but plants may do no better than ones sown next month.

INTHE GREENHOUSE FABULOUS FRUIT

LEAF ISSUES Leaves don’t only turn colour outdoors and even in a greenhouse there is leaf fall. Grape vines deposit showers of brightly coloured leaves that may look pretty, but they need gathering 10 | DECEMBER 2017

CHERRIES C If yo ou love cherries then con nsider fan-training a tree ag gainst a glass wall, or grow a free-standing tree in g a large polytunnel. Either way, yyou will be rewarded with plenty of fruit. p Trees don’t usually suffer fro om silver leaf if grown under covver and it can be easier to net doors against birds than it is to net a whole tree.

up all the same. Plants underneath will not thrive if buried beneath leaves, so give the vine a gentle shake if the last leaves are slow to come down, then rake, or hand pick if you want to remove all trace.

Check spinach and chard for leaf

Choose a self-fertile variety and one grafted on to rootstock that will limit to a smaller size. There are patio and dwarf varieties available that can be grown in large pots.

Of course you can prune branches into a smaller form, or root prune if the tree gets too vigorous for a confined space. The shape is up to you, but take care to prune only in the summer months.

Mulch with rotted manure each year and keep watered.

WITH JOYCE RUSSELL Pictures by Ben Russell

T

he greenhouse can be full of crops in December, but there are often some bare patches of earth. This is a good time to feed the soil. Stack some well-rotted manure, or compost, in a corner and spread it over the borders as crops clear, or spread between rows while plants are small. Buy in bags if you don’t have your own garden heaps. Sterilised composts won’t contain living organisms to enhance soil life, but nor will they contain viable seeds and spores.

spot. The large outer leaves can be disfigured by large brown dots. This is more a problem in winter than any other time, so remove affected leaves and let the smaller healthy ones grow on.

Plants will put on a spurt in a few weeks’ time. www.kitchengarden.co.uk

JOBS THIS MONTH

GAPS IN ROWS It’s always a good idea to sow a few extra pea and bean seeds in pots even if the bulk of them are sown directly in rows in the ground. These extras can be used to fill any gaps in rows.

Autumn-sown plants should be growing well now and, if they have roots in the ground, they are hardy enough to survive an average winter in the greenhouse. Young plants in pots are more likely to suffer at freezing temperatures.

TIPS FROM A SMALL GREENHOUSE ■ Keep doors closed and add extra guy ropes, or rope over the top if the structure is flimsy and gales are in the forecast. In exposed areas, a strong net may be used to keep the greenhouse from blowing away.

■ Check polythene for rips and mend them before they get too big – use tape that is designed for this. A cheap plastic structure may not last much longer than one season but, if you stop any structural damage at the first sign, you may just get a year or two more use from it. Pay particular attention to corners and seams.

WINTER GREENS Many plants are hardy and will stand outdoors through the winter. On the other hand, if broccolis and sprouts are favourite foods then it is always worth extending the season by growing a few plants in the greenhouse. These will usually crop three to four weeks earlier than outdoor ones and there will be fewer problems with frost, wind and slug damage. All overwintered plants do well with a nutrient boost: this is usually given in January or February for onions, garlic and so on. For large brassicas that are expected to produce well in a shorter season, it’s worth using a liquid feed in December too.

■ Bring strawberry plants in pots into the greenhouse and trim off discoloured leaves.

Aim for a small healthy plant that will grow and crop again next year. A touch of frost helps fruiting, but it usually gets cold enough to achieve this result in a small structure.

■ Remember to water seedlings in trays.

Plant some spuds. Put a few extra early seed potatoes in buckets of compost or directly into the border soil. It’s early to do this but, if leaves can be protected, plants will benefit from lengthening days and will give the earliest spring crops.

LAST S PEPPERS Some peppers are perennial and can push through a mild winter and grow on for a second season.

However, plants are seldom as productive in the second year as the first and any sub-zero weather might kill them outright. It’s not really worth cherishing plants just in case, so pick last fruits and remove plants to the compost heap.

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TOPJOBS

FOR DECEMBER ■ Repair breaks, fix sides of raised beds, and keep an eye out for storm or snow damage.

■ Start looking through seed catalogues.

■ Harvest crops regularly, but don’t completely strip cut-andcome-again salad.

■ Water only when the surface of the soil starts to dry out; avoid wetting leaves if you can.

■ Check ties on grapevines and replace any that don’t look strong enough to support next year’s growth.

WATCH OUTFOR...

RODENTS

Rats and mice can find plenty of reasons for visiting a winter greenhouse. They will eat or spoil all kinds of vegetables and if there is a nice pile of sacks and pots in a corner, they may even take up residence.

Check that none of the pests are inside the structure, then block any holes and access routes. Rats will chew through many materials and they can squeeze through small holes, so sealing polythene walls or gaps under doors may not be possible, but do the best that you can. The next step is to set traps (baited with peanut butter) where other animals can’t find them – humane traps work well and are much safer than introducing poisons to your greenhouse.

DECEMBER 2017 | 11

YOU

YOUR PLOT

WHAT’S NEW? ALL THE LATEST NEWS, PRODUCTS & FACTS FROM THE WORLD OF KITCHEN GARDENING

GOING LARGE IN HARROGATE The Harrogate Autumn Flower Show was held between September 15-17, 2017 and was a great success, with more than 37,000 visitors attending during the course of the three days.

As usual the Kitchen Garden editorial team was there to meet readers and to answer gardening questions from the Kitchen Garden Live stage.

Steve Ott and Emma Rawlings gave talks on using herbs, with g Emma explaining how to make E muscle-relaxing herbal bath m ssalts for use after a hard day’s weeding, while Steve made w tthe audience a cup of tea – llemon balm tea that is!

Once again the giant vegetable competitions pulled in the crowds with a massive 179 entries showcasing everything from

giant tomatoes and beetroot to the KG sponsored heaviest onion competition.

There were no records for the giant onion growers this year, but the winner was still a whopper at 6.65kg.

This one was grown by our old friend Peter Glazebrook who has held the record on several occasions in past seasons. Peter also won first prize with his heaviest marrow (66.8kg) as well as a number of other prestigious prizes. Last year’s winner Joe

Atherton was relegated to third place with his 5.909kg bulb, but took prizes in several other classes including a first for his 16.81kg beetroot!

Turn to page 66 to learn the results of our own giant marrow competition!

NEEDATOILET ONYOURALLOTMENT? It can be difficult on your allotment when you want to spend a penny, can’t it? So here’s a solution available from WooWoo Waterless Toilets.

Their Kazuba toilets can be placed anywhere regardless of water supply. They have no running costs, use no chemicals, and are 100% environmentally friendly. The toilets work by separating the solid and liquid waste first, and then drying out the solid waste and evaporating the liquid waste using a wind-assisted airflow through the system – very low maintenance. The solid waste is ready for composting every six months.

Kazuba toilets also come with high-quality wooden cabins, so are pleasing on the eye as well as functional.

‘Paradice Gold’

Out of almost 300 Kazuba toilets in the UK, around a third are installed at allotments.

Like many other allotments, Broadwater Crescent, Welwyn Garden City, has secured National Lottery funding to pay for its waterless toilet.

Main representative Simon Chard said: “Its easy maintenance and installation are some of the main reasons the society decided to go with the Kazuba toilet.”

For more information and funding guidelines, visit www.waterlesstoilets.co.uk

SURPRIZE SURPRIZE!

Picture: Nick Dunn

The Autumn 2017 catalogue from Pomona Fruits features two new varieties of dessert apple along with a new very early ripening plum and autumn fruiting (primocane) raspberry. The dessert apple ‘Surprize’ has a glossy orange skin and bright pink flesh. ‘Paradice Gold’ is a new British-bred apple with a crisp texture and a sweet

flavour. It has the honour of being chosen by the London Paralympic Legacy to be planted in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in recognition of the organisations’ importance in UK sport.

Pomona Fruits are offering a 10% discount on selected items if ordered before November 30.

Catalogues can be obtained either via the Pomona Fruits website www.pomonafruits.co.uk or by telephoning 01255 440410.

A FESTIVE FAVOURITE! Parsnips are best lifted after the first frosts which turns their starch into sugar and thus makes them sweeter. Though we grow it as an annual, it is in fact, like the carrot, a biennial. In the Middle Ages it was thought that parsnips were a cure for toothache…. Stick to a dentist, I should.

‘Surprize’

DO YOU HAVE SOME HOT STORIES FOR OUR NEWS PAGES? SEND THEM TO TFLANAGAN@MORTONS.CO.UK 12 | DECEMBER 2017

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